Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup following a narrow 1-0 victory over Venezuela in their quarter-final clash on Sunday.
Azeezat Oduntan netted the winning goal from the penalty spot in the 89th minute, sealing Nigeria’s place in the last four after a closely contested encounter.
The Nigerian side dominated much of the search for an opening goal, with Kanyinsola Yusuf, Mary Dunstan, Tosin Rafiu and Oluebube Umejiaku among the players who tested Venezuela’s defence.
Venezuela also threatened at different stages of the encounter, particularly towards the end, but the Flamingos maintained their defensive discipline despite late attempts by Astrid Granadillo and Abril Alejo to find an equaliser.
Nigeria successfully protected their advantage through eight minutes of added time to confirm their progression to the semi-finals.
The victory further strengthens the Flamingos’ campaign after they began the tournament with a 2-1 loss to Poland. They bounced back with a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico before defeating defending champions North Korea 3-1 and Mexico 2-1 to reach the quarter-finals.
Nigeria will now face Brazil in the semi-final on Wednesday, November 4, at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
Brazil secured their place in the last four after coming from behind to defeat China 2-1 in their quarter-final fixture.
